Another One Bites the Dust

I have been frantically working on Lotus Blossom Tank over the last several weeks. I am not sure if it is the weather (I love the brisk fall days) but I have really been on a knitting kick over the last month.

I am not sure why I liked this pattern, as like many others, I found the pictures in the original pattern to be ill-fitting in a boxy sort of way.

I have worked the modifications that Lickety Knit describes on her blog. These modifications make the tank longer and give it a much more feminine fit.



The only additional modification that I made was to make the armholes a full inch smaller than the pattern called for (versus the 0.5 inch modification that Lickety Knit made), to make the armholes 7 inches instead of 8 on the 39 inch size. In keeping with the smaller armholes I picked up slightly less stitches for the armhole edging (86 stitches per armholes) and 32 stitches for each side of the neck. I solved the disconnected flap that is formed by the picked up neck edging by knitting it together at the junction with stitches from the top of the knitted on front edging.


Although this pattern took me awhile to complete, it is actually a very quick knit, and once my summer knitting hiatus was complete (reading a book was just more appealing to me when sitting by the pool), it knit up rather rapidly.


Pattern: Lotus Blossom Tank by Sharon Shoji
Size: 39 inches
Made for: Me
Yarn: Artful Yarns Cliche, 7 skeins
Needles: US Size 4 for body, US Size 3 for front neck bind-off, and US Size 5 for first 9 rows of the pattern.
Started: April 29, 2010
Completed: November 19, 2010

The yarn is a linen/cotton/acrylic mix, and I love the color and thought the fiber content perfect for a summer tank, but it was prone to splitting. I got a great deal on this yarn at Slip Knot in Newtown Square, when the yarn was discontinued.

I worried that the 39 inch size might be a bit big for me, based on comments from some other knitters, but it ended up being a pretty good fit. I could have tried to modify it the be a custom size, but going down a full size would have likely been way too small.

Sorry for the indoor photos, but I couldn't stomach an outdoor photo in a tank top with the recent cold weather.

All I have left on my needles right now are two pairs of socks, so it will be time soon to pick my next big project. I am thinking of doing an easy Elizabeth Zimmerman sweater that would provide hours of stockinette which although boring, does allow me to give my attention to other things at the same time (namely reading a book). I have a perfect yarn whose beauty lies in the variations of thick and thin, but could not easily be used for say lace or cables for the same reason.

I also have enough yarn for two other sweaters that could be more patterned. Plus some shawl options! I need to think about what I want to do next.

In the meantime, I may be starting some baby knitting for friends soon. I love starting new projects!